A Duel Between Rivals
by Vincent Van Dred
Summary: Reflections of the greatest rivalry in existence during their epic battle upon a violent planet. Some spoilers! My 2nd fan fic so I need heavy reviews and critique!


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dragonball Z characters, although Bulma does visit me on the weekends! A/N: This portion of the story is written in Goku's pov. There will be more to this fic.

Reflections of the Hero

Well, here I am, standing upon this small plateau that stands out among the rocky outcrops that litter the ground. The ground, rock, and all parts of the ground are a menacing shade of purple and the plant life (what there was of it, for this planet seemed to support so little life) was a dark shade of red. The sky was filled with massive black clouds that cloaked the land in a low darkness. The only light that shone on the surface was the unnatural dim glow of the planet itself and the blazing lightning and thunder that flared about the sky. Because of the volatile nature of the planet, the gravity on it was close to 300 times Earth's. A drop of sweat could crack the ground. However the ground was already heavily cracked, violent quakes would rock the surface periodically, for minutes at a time and each time more violent and devastating. I smirk slightly as I look up into the darkened sky, knowing that the task that lay before me was going to be my most difficult yet. I love the idea of a challenge and was more than happy to take it on. All my life I've been this way, always willing to face the next challenge head on, no matter the odds. Heck, there were times I enjoyed myself even when the fate of the world was hanging by a thread. I know it was kinda selfish by my end, but it helped me to strive harder to help those in need. But now, now I look in front of me, to another outcrop only 30 feet away. Upon it stands my opponent, my newest challenge. Vegeta. He stands before me, as ready as ever. A smile is on his face, lit by the storm that sits on the planet's surface. He has waited so long for this moment. A duel between rivals. I must be honest and say the same. After all we've been through together, this has always been present in my mind. As he and I prepare for the battle ahead, I think back to when we first met and how our destinies have brought us to this point.

I remember it as if it had just occurred recently. We stood there, just as we do now. The mountains that surrounded the area loomed over us, foreshadowing the events to come. The air was heavy with the heat of the sun that day. Unusually hot for a day like that one. I recall the things he said to me. "Well Kakarot," he had mused, "Do you feel like taking on a real saiyan?" At the time I didn't know how powerful he was, but I knew one thing. I had to defeat him. Our powers collided in a volley of punches and kicks as we engaged in our mortal combat. The sounds of battle echoed through the masses of rock. Before long, I knew I was outclassed. I then went against King Kai's advice and powered up the Kaio Ken technique times 30. The tide had turned in my favor and I attacked Vegeta relentlessly. He never saw it coming. Soon he became outclassed, to him a shattering blow to his honor and pride. He became desperate and transformed into the saiyans' true form. I did all I could but the Kaio Ken had taken its toll. After I charged the Spirit Bomb, it was over for me. Vegeta would've won it to and I would not be standing here now if it weren't for the help of Krillin, Yajirobe, and my son Gohan. And after Krillin used the Spirit Bomb on Vegeta, the battle was over. Krillin wanted to end it then, however, bringing Yajirobe's sword to Vegeta's neck. I couldn't bear to see more bloodshed, so I asked Krillin to stand down. Thankfully, he did. "You should…have killed me…Kakarot. I'll be back…and when I do…you and this planet are history." A week later I was off to Namek, prepared for another encounter with the man. That moment never came. Frieza, the menacing alien tyrant, decided to attack Namek and secure the dragon balls. He slaughtered the entire namekian race, Krillin, and even Vegeta. Before he died, Vegeta made a request of me. "Kakarot," he cried, tears streaming from his eyes, "Destroy Frieza. He made me what I am. Don't…don't let him…do it. to…anyone else. Whatever it takes…stop him…please." He died there. I felt sorry for him. He had become so ruthless and yet here he was, crying out his true feelings, probably for the first time in his life. I did my best to honor his request. He had been wished back to life during my battle with Frieza and was then transported to Earth. I didn't see him again for an entire year.

After that, he became an ally of ours, although the thought of destroying me was always there. He even had a son with Bulma, the sneaky devil. I smile at the thought of Vegeta becoming a father. Though he never showed it, there must have been some happiness inside him when that occurred. He became even more powerful than I had when the androids began attacking. I was sick with the heart virus and he had become a super saiyan, just as I had. He even ascended before any of us did. Whenever he trained, he always pushed himself harder than all the others. After Cell was defeated and I had died, he trained every day for 7 years straight, the thought of surpassing me the only thought in his head. Even I slacked a little during those 7 years of being dead, enjoying the company of other great fighters like Pikkon and Oolibu. Then I came back for a day, to enter the World Tournament and be with my family again. But the threat of Babidi and Majin Buu loomed over us and we were once again thrust into battle. Shortly after, though, Babidi used his magic to take over Vegeta's body, giving him extraordinary power. And he wanted to challenge me with this power. When the world was threatened, he wanted to battle me. He had that much rage and anger at me built up inside, that the only thing he could do to redeem himself was battle me, the saiyan of lower class that made a mockery of his princeliness.

And so once again, our rivalry raged across the mountain ranges of Earth, the force from the attacks we landed on each other shaking the very ground beneath us. We never were able to finish that match. Majin Buu was revived and Vegeta knocked me out when I didn't expect it. When I awoke, he was dead again, a sacrifice he made for his family. But it was in vain, for Buu still lived on. It was up to us to defeat him. But we failed. Later, after Old Kai granted me a life, Vegeta received a one-day pass to return to Earth and together we fought side by side to defeat Buu. Boy was he furious when he found out I held back during our battle. But he realized why I had to do it before we fused and battled Buu. Even after we got absorbed, boy was that fun, did we work together as a team and make it out, only to battle another Buu incarnation. But finally, after a brilliant plan he came up with, we we're able to defeat Buu once and for all. After we celebrated the victory, we didn't speak much. Then came time for the tournament. We we're going to battle it out in the tournament after I fought Uub, but he needed training. I took it upon myself to train him. When I told Vegeta, he was ok with it. "It's just like you, Kakarot. Besides, we would need an entire planet for our battle." I never forgot that and vowed to give him the fight he always wanted. That's what brought us together on this day.

It's been 4 years since we last saw each other. I stopped by Capsule Corp on a brief vacation from training Uub. After seeing my family, I looked him up because I needed someone who could fight on my level. And this would be an opportune time for us to engage in that battle we waited years for. We took a ship to this planet that Vegeta had trained on previously before he became a super saiyan. Figures he would choose a place like this, I should've figured. Hahaha. I can't help but laugh. The lightning above us grows more intense as we eye each other, our fists clenched, ready to begin a battle long awaited by us. A duel between rivals. "Well Vegeta, it's been a long time since we've last seen each other. Do you think you can keep up," I muse, knowing it will entice his pride. Vegeta smiled and gave a chuckle. "Whatever you say, Kakarot," he spoke stern, yet jovial tone, "I doubt you'll be able to keep up with my power now. I've made it up to 600 times normal gravity in training and let me tell you, I don't break a sweat." I laughed again. "Well Vegeta, don't forget, I've been training with Uub. I think I could manage." Lightning broke between us as he assumed his fighting stance. I also joined in my stance, ready. This was going to be it, the bout between saiyan brethren that could of almost of been foretold through prophecy. I knew this day would come. And I am ready. "Alright Kakarot, shall we commence," Vegeta asked, grinning. I smiled back. "Let's go Vegeta." We both immediately shot off of our plateaus and ours powers collided as in the air. A duel between saiyan rivals that would shake the very core of the planet we're on.


End file.
